ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. ball — a great time
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mug — to rob
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — to go on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com